Protective and decorative elastomeric compositions for application onto flexible or extensible substrates or for bridging or filling gaps between independently movable substrates such as, for example, mastic coatings, caulks, and sealants require low temperature flexibility due to the need for the composition to withstand stresses such as elongation at low temperatures. However, the same compositions require antithetical properties such as, for example, high tensile strength, low surface tack, and low dirt pickup, at high temperatures. While compositions containing an aqueous dispersion of water-insoluble polymer with a glass transition temperature (T.sub.g) lower than the temperature at which the polymer is used are advantageously used for many applications, dried low T.sub.g polymer- based compositions are too tacky for many applications and readily bind environmental dirt particles. On the other hand, polymers with a T.sub.g higher than the temperature at which the polymer is used disadvantageously require higher levels of polluting volatile organic coalescing aids to effect film formation and provide dried compositions with insufficient low temperature flexibility.
There is a need for a method for using an elastomeric composition for coatings, caulks, and sealants where low temperature flexibility and dirt pick up resistance are required.